Steam-turbine.



No. 68I,284. Patented Aug. 27. 190|. W. L. WEBSTER.

STEAM TUBBINE.

(Application led Jan. 14, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

N0. 681,284. Patented Allg. 27, |9l. w. L. WEBSTER.

STEAM TUBBINE. (Apliaion med Jan. 14, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(N0 Model.)

iii/l.

TN: wams Pin-.ks co. 1mb-uma.. wAsumomu. D. c.

NITE-n STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM LLOYD WEBSTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STEAM-TURBINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 681,284, dated `August 27, 1901.

Application filed January 14,1901. Serial No. 43,234. (No model.)

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LLOYD WEB- STER, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Turbines, of which the following is a specication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

ThisV invention relates to engines of the class known as steam-turbines.

The object of the invention is to produce an engine of the character known as impactengines in which provision is made by the form of the engine for the expansion of the motor iuid in its progress through the engine. Provision may be made for the compounding of the engine, by which successive expansions are available.

The invention has for a further object the attachment of the blades on the drum and casing in such manner that they can readily be removed and replaced.

i The improvement consists in the constructions and combinations hereinafter claimed.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an engine of compound type involving the principles of my invention, showing supply and exhaust valves and connecting-pipes. Fig. l is a View of one of the valves in reversing position. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 as to the cylinder and 2a 2a as to the casing. Fig. 3 is a plan of part of a cylinder, the position of the blades in the casing being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of broken parts of cylinder and casing, showing the blades and means of attachment. Fig. 5 is a broken detail of part of the cylinder or casing,showing dovetail groove therein. Fig. 6 is a plan of groove reduced to a plane surface, showing blades and holding-blocks.

Figs. 7 and 8 are velevations of blades, and

Figs. 9 and l0 elevation and plan of holdingblocks. Fig. 1l is a diagram of gearing.

The rotating part of my engine or of each section thereof is a cone or conic frustum. The cylinder or shell conforms to the rotating part and incloses the same.

Let 1 indicate a shaft which passes lengthwise through the casing 2 and has its bearings in stuffing-boxes 3 3 in-the casing. At-

questions of weight and cost. The frustum,

hub, or cone 4 has circumferential undercut grooves 5 5, the grooves arranged circumferentially and being as many in number as the length of the cone and width of the blades may warrant. In each groove 5 a series of blades 6 6 is arranged to project radiallyfrom the cone, but having their length inclined with reference to the axis of the cone or to a line external to the cone and parallel to the surface of the cone, as shown. The blades 6 are substantially rectangular plates of metal having notches 7 cut away near the corners l thereof, so that the tongues 8 are in the form of dovetails, which enter and ft the undercut grooves 5 in the cone or hub. The dovetail tongues 8 enter the groove but the blades are supported both against outward and inward movement by the corners of the blades resting against the outer surface of the cone above the undercut groove.

The plates 6 are placed as far apart as the conditions of the case seem to warrant, the diameter of hub or cone, length of blades, and pressure of steam being taken into consideration.

Rhomboidal liller-pieces 9 are inserted in the grooves 5. These filler-pieces are beveled at the ends and are of such length as to extend across the grooves 5 in oblique direction. The width of the filler-pieces thus determines the distance between the blades and also the angle of inclination from parallelism with the axis of the hub. The blades can be placed in a groove one at a time-first a blade and then a filler-piece, and so on. By turning the blades and filler-pieces at a more oblique angle than they will ultimately occupy, as indicated at the lower part of Fig. 6, the blades and fillers can readily be placed in position, the dovetail ends of the blades and the beveled ends of the llers coming under the shouldersover the undercuts in the hub, and thus holding the blades and fillers firmly. The last blade may have one of its corners cut away, as at 12, Fig. 7, and this blade may be secured by other suitable means, as by a IOO key, wedge, or screw, or the last iillenpiece may be mutilated or cut away (dotted lines, Fig. 9) and the same secured by a screw or other fastening device.

The casing 2 has grooves 'l5 on its inner face the saine vas has the hub on its external face; but the grooves alternate when considering the axial length of the hub and. casingthat is, the grooves in the casing are opposite the ribs separating the grooves on the hub, and vice versa. The blades and fillerpieees are the same in the casing as in the hub; but ot' course the blades in the casing project inwardly toward the hub, While the blades in the hub project outwardly toward the casing, and in each case the projection is into close proximity with the opposite surface. The blades in the casing stand in opposite oblique inclination from that of the blades in the hub, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 3. The edges of the blades in the hub and casing will be near each other, but must not touch, as touching would prevent any rotation of the hub.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the essential idea of my invention is the frnstum of a cone as a hub and a frustoconical casing surrounding the same and that the hub and casing have blades arranged in annular series projecting in opposite directions and inclined in reverse directions as relates to the series of blades on the hub and on the casing. The steam is admitted, preferably, at the small end of the hub and impinges alternately on the blades of the hub and casing. As the blades of the casing are ixed, the steam is guided thereby against the blades of the hub inclined in reverse direction, as is common; but the conical form of the hub and casing insures an increase of space for the expansion of the steam, as the steam moves from the small end of the cone toward the large end, where the exhaust is located.

In the form of engine shown in Fig. l the steam is admitted at valve 20, which controls both the admission and exhaust. The plug 2l in the valve has a port 22, by which steam entering pipe 23 is conducted by pipe 2l to the small end of the casing. From the large end of the cone the exhaust-steam escapes by pipe 25 and thence by the by-passage 26 (shown in dotted lines) to the escapepipe 27.

In Fig. l the plug 2l is shown in opposite position to reverse the engine. The steam entering pipe 23 passes to pipe 25, and so enters at the large end of the cone and exhausts at the small end through the dotted by-pas` sage. This reversal of the engine does not permit the expansion of the steam on its way toward the exhaust, but rather causes a compression, which is not to be preferred as a rule.

The engine illustrated in Fig. l has three hubs or cones and corresponding shells A B C, and the valves, pipes, casings, and hubs are similar in-form, but increase in size from left to right in the drawings. The valves are all operated together by rod 30, and the de scriptionjof one ofthe engine-sections applies to all except as to the difference in size. The engine-hubs 4 may, however, be made to act on shaft 1 by an intermediate gear, so that the speed of the rotation of the hubs may have a modified relation to the speed of the shaft 1. (See Fig. ll.) Aring-gear 3l may be attached to hub 4, and through an intermediate gear 32, which may be supported on the casing, the gear may act on a pinion 33, carried by shaft l. In such a train the size of the ring-gear with relation to the pinion on the shaft determines the relation of the speed of rotation of the hub and shaft. In a compound engine the different hubs may be connected to the shaft by trains of gearing of different speed.

The direction of motion of steam in an cngine of this character is oblique to the axis of the engine and not longitudinal thereof, as is common, and not radial, as is also common.

It will be understood that the filler-pieces may be made convex or concave to lit the cylinder or casing. The curvature is so small that it may often be disregarded. So the edges may be slightly beveled or a packing may be used.

1. In a steam-engine of the character described, the combination of the hub having an annular undercut groove therein, the series of flat blades generally rectangular in form and each having a dovetail projection from one end,and the rhomboidal filler-pieces, beveled at their ends, and lying in the undercut groove between the ilat blades, and means for securing the extreme filler-piece to the hub so that all the blades and fillers are held in place, substantially as described.

2. In a steam-engine of the character described, the frusto-conical casing having annular undercut grooves in its inner face, a series of blades each having a dovetail tongue projecting into the groove in said casing, a series of rhomboidal iillerpieces between such blades each having beveled ends, and means for holding the extreme filler-piece to the casing, substantially as described.

3. In a steameengine of the character described, a truste-conical hub having an annular undercut groove in its outer surface,- a series of flat and approximately rectangular blades having dovetailed ends which enter said groove, with shoulders resting on the hubabove the groove, a series of rhomboidal filler-pieces with beveled ends resting in the grooves between the blades, the filial blade being mutilated so as to enter the groove Without turning, and means for securing the final blade and iiller-piece, all combined substantially as described.

4:. In a steam-engine of the character do IOO IIO

IIS

izo

scribed, a series of frusto-eonieal easings areoneal hubs equal in number to the easings, ranged end t0 end and each having supply each having outwardly-extending blades arand exhaust ports, and inwardly-projecting ranged in annular series, all combined subblades, the casings arranged end to end and stantially as described.

i 5 increasing in diameter as described, a sup- In testimony whereof I ailx my signature I5 ply and exhaust valve connected to each of in presence of two Witnesses. the easings in the series, the exhaust-passage vWILLIAM LLOYD WEBSTER. of the first Cone connected to the supply of Vitnesses: the second cone, and so on, a single shaft ex- EGERTON S. JACKSON,

1o tending through all the cones, and frusto- ARTHUR C. F. HICKEY. 

